1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biopsy apparatus, and, more particularly, to a biopsy apparatus including a biopsy device having a sample receiving notch with a tissue anchor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A biopsy may be performed on a patient to help in determining whether the cells in a biopsied region are cancerous. One biopsy technique used to evaluate breast tissue, for example, involves inserting a biopsy probe into the breast tissue region of interest to capture one or more tissue samples from the region. Such a biopsy technique often utilizes a vacuum to pull the tissue to be sampled into a sample receiving notch of the biopsy probe, after which the tissue is severed and collected. One type of vacuum assisted biopsy apparatus includes a hand-held driver assembly having a pressure source, and a disposable biopsy probe assembly configured for releasable attachment to the driver assembly. The biopsy probe typically includes a biopsy cannula, e.g., a needle, having a side sample port for receiving the tissue to be sampled.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,123 discloses various embodiments of a biopsy needle configured as a shaft having a sample retaining cavity, and barbs in the sample chamber to engage tissue coming into the confines of the sample retaining cavity. However, with such a barb hook arrangement, when cut by an external cutter the sample may be forced to the distal end of the sample chamber, potentially damaging the tissue sample by the barbs. Further, such barbs may make tissue release difficult.